By Ally Phillips Aussie Grassfed Beef Harissa Meatball Fruit Kabobs
- Prep time 20Min
- Cook time 20Min
- Technique Grill
- Meat Beef
- Cut Ground
- Serves 12
The Aussie grassfed meatballs are one of Ally's favorite dishes to prepare for parties! During the holidays, this is a go-to!
Ingredients
- 16, 10" or 4-6" sizes Water soaked Wooden skewers
- 2 cans divided Dole Sunshine Tropical Fruit, liquid set aside for use
- 1 ½ lbs. grassfed ground beef
- 3 teaspoons dry Harissa seasoning
- 1 cup divided Plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup Italian herb breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herb mixture (Basil, chervil, terragon)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons divided salt
- 2 teaspoons divided, coarse ground black pepper
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- 4 tablespoons + more for garnish fresh mint, leaves and stems
- 8 ounces crumbled, divided goat cheese
- As needed cooking spray
- As needed olive oil
- As needed finishing salt
Note:
- If you don't want to use pork, then add more grassfed beef, preferably 85/15 or 80/20.
- If using this recipe for appetizer size skewers, adjust cooking time.
- These skewers can be grilled on a stovetop grill, but the outdoor grill flavoring adds more flavor!
- This meatball recipe can be used with a simple pasta sauce. Pan sear the meatballs in a hot skillet then add a large jar of marinara sauce. Reduce heat and just simmer to cook.
- Have a long pair of tongs for carefully turning skewers on the grill when cooking.
- You can substitute just pineapple chunks on the skewers if you prefer! They grill very well, holding their shape and not falling off.
Method
To prep:
-
Coat grill with cooking spray. Turn on and heat to 500–600 degrees. You will need 5 (10") wooden skewers previously soaked in water.
-
Drain the tropical fruit liquid. Put liquid in a saucepan. Put 25 pieces of well-shaped fruit on a plate to use for the skewers.
-
Finely crush and chop the remaining fruit that will be used in the sauce.
To prep the sauce:
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Put the saucepan with the liquid over a medium-high flame. Add the marmalade, one teaspoon of pepper, one-fourth teaspoon of salt, and crushed/chopped fruit.
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Bring to a simmering boil and let thicken for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add one-third cup of yogurt, one-fourth cup of crumbled goat cheese, and two tablespoons of chopped mint. Blend.
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Set aside.
For the meatballs:
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, harissa, one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of pepper, one-half cup of yogurt, breadcrumbs, and fresh minced herbs. Blend well.
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Roll into 16–20 same-size meatballs (about 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons per meatball — you can use a spring-release scoop to measure). Place on a parchment paper–lined cookie sheet.
For the kabobs:
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Skewer one piece of fruit about 2" from the base of the stick. Add a meatball. Add two pieces of fruit. Add a meatball. Add two pieces of fruit. Add a meatball.
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Repeat this process with the remaining skewers (3 meatballs and 5 pieces of fruit per kabob). Put kabobs on the cookie sheet. Coat well with cooking spray.
To cook:
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Place kabobs on hot (500–600 degrees) grill. Cook about 12–15 minutes, rotating the kabobs every 3 minutes to grill all sides of the meatballs.
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Close the lid between rotations. When done, remove skewers to a cookie sheet lined with clean parchment paper, cover with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.
To serve: Serve with a drizzle of sauce on the kabob and equal amounts of crumbled goat cheese and chopped mint garnish. Put remaining sauce in bowl for serving.
